National launches Drive Safe campaign

4 May 2006

According to the latest research from leading international vehicle rental
company, National Car Rental, 41% of travellers who are planning on driving abroad
in a rental car do not check the road rules of the country they are visiting ahead
of the trip.It’s perhaps not surprising then that over a quarter (26%) say that
they have experienced a ‘near miss’ when driving in another country.

Tackling these challenges to make driving on foreign roads less stressful and more
enjoyable, National Car Rental has launched Drive Safe, a unique international
online road safety initiative. Utilising a wealth of expert local knowledge, and
accessible free via the web, Drive Safe has been developed to help business and
leisure travellers drive safely in over 40 countries in Europe, the Middle East and
Africa, plus the USA and Canada. And it has been designed specifically for those
people renting a car abroad, as this experience can be quite different to driving
their own vehicle at home.

The condition of the roads and the way local drivers behave can be quite different
from those travellers are used to at home. And the rules and regulations in other
countries can often catch out foreign motorists. For example, did you know that on
the spot fines can be issued for running out of petrol on motorways and other main
high roads in Germany? In Belgium - and many other European countries - trams have
priority over cars. Or that in some Canadian cities, there are restrictions on
right and left-hand turns during rush hour?

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Drive Safe addresses all these concerns by providing information, available
instantly online, on driving regulations and requirements and advice on motoring
laws such as speed limits, alcohol limits and road tolls, plus there are guidelines
on city driving, country driving, road rules and road safety initiatives in each
country. And, as a truly multi-national driving tool, Drive Safe is available in
English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.

As a worldwide organisation, National has access to extensive local knowledge and
expertise through its international network. That knowledge has been drawn on to
produce Drive Safe. No other car rental company gives finger tip access to the
rules and regulations on the highways of more than 40 countries around the world.

“Driving abroad can catch even the most experienced of travellers unawares”
confirmed Rebecca Madden, International Marketing Manager, National Car Rental.
“But knowing the ins and outs of the roads and driving regulations for a destination
in advance is one simple way to be sure of a stress-free trip. Drive Safe provides
travellers - whether their trip is for business or pleasure - with valuable
information on the journey ahead, even before they leave home. Now, armed with the
basic rules and advice, driving in a foreign country should be a much more enjoyable
experience.”

With corporate travellers from multinational companies driving in unfamiliar
territories, an increase in the number of remote airport locations used by budget
airlines and the rise in independent leisure travel to more rural areas, driving on
unfamiliar roads in a foreign destination is a common experience for many
travellers. Drive Safe helps travellers enjoy their trip safely by putting all the
information they might need in one place and in one consistent format, with the
freedom to download this valuable knowledge whenever and wherever they need it.